Knowing the Unknowable: Shades
by Liquid Fire and Molten Gold
Summary: There were a lot of things I planned to do during my Spring Break. You know doing homework, catching up on my studies, sleeping, and eating my weight in fats. But I assure you waking up in Thane Krios' apartment was not one of those plans. AU Irikah is still alive! SI and yes this is replacing Arrow.
1. Veins

Veins

Pain. Excruciating pain. Its claws buried into my skin and I let out a scream, but instead of air rushing out of my lungs it was water that filled them instead. I gagged at the salty taste and it was then did I feel the iciness of the water against my skin and the heaviness of my clothes as they brought me down further and further into the inky darkness of the sea.

Time Skip

Jolting upright I sucked in a breath of air as I let out a gasp. Rough scaly hands pushed me down and a sweet calm voice spoke,

"Relax young one, everything is fine. You are safe, sleep." The voice was feminine with a slight rasp in it as if they had two tones. She spoke some more but it became blurred and mixed and soon only the sound of my own breathing filled my ears as I drifted off. Before I fell asleep I opened my eyes and caught a glimpse of…_sunset colored eyes._

"Irikah…"

Time Skip

I woke up again but this time it was by the smell of food. The scent of broth filled my nostrils and I felt the…bed? Cot? Sofa? Shift underneath the weight of another person.

"Are you awake child?" It was a different voice that spoke this time. This one was masculine and husky, but still had the same two tones as the other one. I tried to speak but the only thing that came out was a garbled,

"Mysph." The sound of a bowl being set down was deafening as he brought his hand beneath my head and propped it against a pillow.

"Eat." The command was gentle but still present and the taste of hot food in my mouth was heavenly. Much to my aggravation he only fed me small amounts and I wasn't able to move. I couldn't move a damn muscle. Panic set in; was I paralyzed? Bound? Chained? My breathing quickened and the man quickly grasped my chin and I was forced to open my eyes, "Relax. Breathe. Feel your surroundings. Where are you?" He might as well have been talking to a rock.

My gaze was fixed on his face, a face I knew too well. A face I'd seen crying. Darkness crept in the side of my vision and I could faintly hear two word speak in the otherwise silent room,

"Thane Krios…" I fell back in the clutches of sleep.

Thane

"Thane Krios…" his name echoed in the tiny bedroom and the look of shock that covered his face fell on blind eyes for the mysterious girl had already slipped back into sleep for the drugs had taken effect quicker than expected. Her long dark hair was a tangled and matted mess, her skin an unhealthy shade of white, her eyes were dark as a moonless night, and bags a deep purple stood out against her skin. She was also dangerously thin. What in the names of the gods happened to this woman?

Time Skip

Me

I looked horrible. Like a monster. Unwashed, thin, and pale I was no longer the healthy weight of 100 pounds. It had been three weeks since I woke up in the Krios household and I was just now able to get up on my own.

I knew little of what was going on in the Mass Effect world and if it wasn't for the pain that I'd felt so far I wouldn't have believed it. I still don't sometimes. So far I've only seen Thane and Irikah but I've heard Koylat roaming the halls.

Meeting my reflection's gaze I looked at the giant knot called my hair and back at the hairbrush Irikah had so kindly bought me. I couldn't even think about brushing through it…there was no way. Pulling up my omni-tool, another thing Irikah had given me, and pulled up Sanifarah their housekeeper.

"Sani?" I rasped; my throat still sore from the lack of use, "Can you bring me a pair of scissors please?"

"Of course Mistress *****. I'll be right there."

"Thank you." Pulling the robe tighter around me I got back in front of the scale. It was a VI that scanned you and told you everything from bone density to if you were going to fart in the next 5 seconds. A holographic screen flashed next to me and I pressed on the button labeled 'weight'.

"87 pounds." I murmured. There was a light knock on the bathroom door and it slid open to reveal the petite 21 year old college student/housekeeper drell. She was a soft blue color with dark purple stripes and light blue eyes.

"Here you go Mistress *****," she said in her soft voice. I gave her a weak smile but it must have looked more like a grimace,

"Come on Sani," I say, "we're both around the same age and it's not the Middle Ages anymore. You can call me *****." She said nothing but bowed and walked out of the room. I sighed and looked down at the scissors in my hand. Instead of examining the scissors however my gaze instead drifted to my hand. So thin, so frail, and so **_white_**. The veins stood out amongst the paleness and I hated it! Good God Almighty I hated it! I bit my lip against my sobs and grasped the scissors tightly and bundled my hair back and snipped it all off. I watched with fascination as it fell to the ground, it didn't float like a leaf no. It dropped like a brick. Weeks of grime, dirt and God only knew what else had made it heavy like a brick.

Grasping the sink I looked at myself with my boyish hair and put down the scissors and grabbed the hair brush. I winced at the many knots but I reveled in it because the pain told me I was alive and not insane…at least I don't think so.

…God what's happened to me?

**I know, I know! I'm rewriting it again! But damn it this time this will be good I swear it! By the way Shades' hair is like default FemHawke. **


	2. Scars

**READ FIRST CHAPTER! REWROTE IT!**

* * *

Scars

Scars. I've never really thought about them much…at least not on me. But now there they were crisscrossing and swirling over my whole body. Jesus, was this how Shepard felt after project Lazarus? Every time they took a shower would they see these scars and think about the two years they lost? The water was scalding hot but I couldn't bear it any colder or the near drowning would come back full force.

Rinsing my hair I let a small smirk of victory cross my lips. No knots. The weeks of dirtiness swirled down the drain and I already felt ten times better. VI enhanced robotic limbs scrubbed me down and I let out a sigh of content. After ten more minutes of soaking I stepped out and closed my eyes at the blast of hot air from the vent. Grabbing a towel I wrapped it around me and walked out into my bedroom.

It was smaller compared to the other rooms in the house but I honestly didn't care. Compared to my dorm it might as well be a fucking mansion. A whole shelf filled with books I couldn't read without my translator. (Speaking of translators I already had one installed in me thank god!) The bed was queen sized and so damn soft it might as well be made out of fluff! And a small alcove just big enough to fit a small sized desk.

Walking over to the foot locker at the base of my bed I grabbed a pair of cotton like yoga pants and a tank top. Shuffling over to the desk I waved my hand over the surface of it and a holographic computer appeared. Typing in my password I started up the Extranet and typed in 'Shepard'.

**'Commander Falcon and Phoenix Shepard-' **what the fuck? Rereading that last sentence I gapped, Fal and Nix? The two Shepards I intended to make siblings and write fanfictions for but never got around to? Actually I'm not surprised, I mean if Irikah is still alive I guess that means anything could happen. _Including the batarian pirates that killed her to drop out of the sky and I don't know-SLAUGHTER YOU! _I am such a cheerful person. Sighing I went back to reading.

**'Commander Falcon and Phoenix Shepard are famous for their bravery in the Elysium-Phoenix Shepard- and their survival of Akuze-Falcon Shepard. They are the children of Hannah and Thomas Shepard, Falcon being the older and more marine like of the two (age: 25) and Phoenix has already spoken of going into politics after her military career (age: 24).' **Scrolling down I hummed as I passed information I already knew but stopped when I got to their pictures.

Falcon looked exactly like he did in my walkthrough when I played him…a default John Shepard. I'm sorry but I cannot make an attractive Male Shep, but Phoenix on the other hand had lilac colored eyes and dark black hair that fell to her shoulders. Her eyes lined in kohl with a scar across her right cheek.

Pulling up the Mass Effect version of word I was immediately assaulted with dozens of formats. Hitting the one that said 'blank' I began to type. Three minutes later I had set up a nice KWL chart. In the know I put,

Two Shepards-Falcon and Phoenix who shall be known as Fal and NixFal-25 and Nix-24

Irikah still alive

I'm on Kahje

On the want to know I put,

Why I'm here?

How I got these scars?

Why I look like I've just died?

Why was I drowning?

What is the year?

How can I find a way on the Normandy?

I left the learned blank. I saved and coded my work before leaning back in my chair with a sigh. I'd exerted myself and I was too exhausted to get to bed. _Maybe a few minutes of…_

Koylat

He stared hard at the door where the human, *****, was residing. He knew that he couldn't avoid her for long but…there was something about her that wasn't right. He'd overheard his parents talking about how she had said both of their names before drifting off. With an exhale of air he got up and knocked on the door. Nothing. He knocked again before he opened it. He stopped and stared.

He could remember when he first saw her, her hair was dark and long and it fell mid back. Now however her hair was cut ridiculously short. Though she still had those…bangs? Yes, bangs! Her bangs fell in her face but were lifted up but her short breaths of air. Though she looked uncomfortable slumped over the desk. He pressed his lips together before stepping over the threshold of her room and lifting her up.

She was light. And he just now realized that she had scars. They traveled the length of her arm and some disappeared into her shirt. Realizing that he was staring he quickly walked, no he more jogged, to her bed and nearly dropped her onto it. Setting her down he quickly backed away as if she had a virus before grabbing the blanket on the ground and threw it over her. There he had done his good deed for the dead. He walked out and if anyone had asked him about the blush on his face he would tell them to fuck off.

Me

I woke up confused and drowsy. I was expecting some serious neck pain but there was none and I soon realized that I was in bed, under covers, and really, really hungry. Groaning I popped the muscles in my back and neck I threw my feet over the side of the bed. With weak shaky legs I scrubbed my eyes and began to find my way to the kitchen. The smell of food drew me to some part and I walked in.

"I ac…tually…" I blinked. Well shit I just crashed a family dinner it seems because 30 sets of eyes fell onto me...

"Thane, why is there a human in your household and why is she dressed so…erotically." Well hello to you too Madam Krios!

**Chapter 2 and I just saw the trailer for Inquisition and it. Was. Fucking. Amazing! *Squeal* Oh hurry October 7, hurry! **


End file.
